The present invention relates to a device for processing card-shaped information carriers, such as bank cards, credit cards, identification cards, and the like.
A known device of this type is disclosed for example in German patent document DE 100 63 313 A1 (U.S. Ser. No. 10/026,982) and has a corresponding feeding unit formed substantially as a mechanical ramp. The arrangement is designed so that only an intermittent operation with respect to for delivery and transportation of the card is possible. While this arrangement is advantageous, the possible processing speeds are however confined within certain limits.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement of the above mentioned general type, which is a further improvement of the existing arrangements.
More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement for processing of card-shaped information carriers, such as bank cards, credit cards, identification cards, etc., which is designed so that a processing of cards is possible in a simple manner and with a very high speed, and at the same time the design has a simple construction and a disturbance-free operation.
In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in a device for processing card-shaped information carriers, in which the corresponding delivery unit has a wheel circumferentially driven in a rotary direction, which has on its outer periphery individual holders spaced from one another in a peripheral direction and operative for receiving, holding and delivery of the cards.
The device in accordance with the present invention is simple, cost-favorable, and provides a disturbance-free operation. Since the first and/or second transfer units have a circumferentially driven wheel, in this way the feeding of the individual cards from the track to movable carriers and transfer from the movable carrier back onto the track is possible in a continuous and fast sequence, in particular when it deals with tangential orientation of the cards for each wheel. In this way, high speeds are provided for processing of the cards, which can be up to 50,000 cards per hour and more. There is no danger of functional disturbances.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the present invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.